Method of refining liquid hydrocarbons



F. E. WELLIV|AI\!.A METHOD 0F REFININQLIQUID HYDRocARBoNs.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27,19l7.

l PatntedSept. 6g 1921.

LSQUQQ GRM neg mim FRANK E. WIELLMAN, 0F KANSAS Clll,` KANSAS, ASSIGNOR T0 THE KANSAS GASOLINE COMPANY, OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS, A.' CORPORATION 01E* KANSAS.

METHID 0F REFENIENG LIQUID HYDROARBNS.

Specification of Letters Patent. 'Patagntd Scapa, f6, 1923i,

Application filed November 27, 1917. Serial No. 204,228.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, FRANK E. WELLMAN, aV citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Refining Liquid Hydrocarbons, of which the following 'is a specification, reference being had` therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to theart of refining liouid hydrocarbons, and more particularly to process of and apparatus for refining hydrocarbons in totality and in the liquid stage, that is, treating the entire body of a mixture of hydrocarbons of different gravities and boiling points as distinguished from the method of first distilling to remove the f lighter hydrocarbons sequentially and cracking only the heavier ones.

@ther objects of the invention will be apparent from-a perusal of the following specification and drawings. l

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing which is a diagrammatic view showing the system laid out in a seriesv of apparatus elements constituting a comlete circuit, portions of the apparatus bein shown in section. l

eferring to the drawing, 1 represents a containing vessel for the hydrocarbon to be refined, tted with means for initial charging as ipe 1 and valve 1b and also with means or return charging such as pipe 48 in a manner which will be presently described. The container 1 performs the function of a boiler or primary vaporizer, is fitted with gages 5 and 6, and suitably mounted in brick orother housing 3, constitu'ting a furnace with fire box 2, back draft or flue 2a, and stack 4. rll`he boiler may be heated in any suitable manner, but

in practice I use oil or' gas, injected into the re box. through the nozzle 67 and controll'ed by the valve 66, from which yin the present. case the pipe line eiztendslback to 4the'-receiving drum or tank 6l, conveying therefrom to thefurnace non-condensable gases which have been passed throl'ighthe condenser system. Hydrocarbon Ivapor 1s generated in the boilerl lunder low pressure, at the normal boiling point of the liquid. From the up er part of the boiler an outlet pipe 7 exten s to a T-joint 8, from which a .straight pipe line 11 leads to the condenser, and a branch pipe 10 with a controlling valve 9 extends to any suitable receiving apparatus. Pipe 10, with its valve 9, are to take off the so-called natural run lof gasolene. l

rlhe coil of the condenser 12, discharges through ipe 13 into a receiving tank 14. The con ensate deposited in the receiving tank 14, which is not homogeneous but composed of various cracked and uncraclred fractions ofthe original oil, is drawn from the receiving tank through the suction pipe 15 of the pump which discharges under 'high pressure through the discharge conduit 17 containing a check valve 19 and communicating with a pressure gage 18 at a point between thecheck valve and the pump.

he conduit 17 connects through a ljoint 7 5 with the conduit 20 leading to the super heater or retort 23. rll`he conduit 17 is also connected through the `l"joint 75 to the pipe upon which is mounted a safety valve 81 having its discharge end connected through pipe 82 which leads back into the upper portion of the receiving tank 14.-.`

rlhe superheater 23 itself consists of a number of sections of pipe. ln the diagram the number of sections is reduced and they arev marked 23". Pipe lengths are joined in lateral pairs at oposite ends Aby means of return bends 23". he ends ofthe pipes are flanged' and the return bends arev Sliv description and illustration of the detail structure of my preferred retort a pears in my co ending application Serial o. 69,500:

filed ecember 30, 1915.

0n the outlet side of the retort ltv providea bend 31, and a pipe 32 leading to the p recooler 33, provided with water jacket havlng inlet and outlet pipes. The valve 35 is shown as a globe valve by means of which pressure in pipe 32 may be held back or reduced before passing into the pipe 36. The pre-cooler has for its principal function to protect the valve 35 from the intense heat of the still 23, communicated thropgh the pipe 32, which not only tends to deposit and burn on the carbon uncracked, but also to destroy the' valve or render its operation impossible.

At 39 is shown a fractionator or selective condenser consisting essentially of a cylindrical tank or large drum provided to a preict or structure presenting a very la'rge surface and very numerous interstices. The tank is surrounded `by a water jacket 39a having an zontally into inlet pipe fitted with a valve 39", and a plurality of outlet pipes fitted with valves 39b and 39, the same being located at different pgints so that the water in the jacket 39ma'y drained off accordingly, whereby effective 'condensation may be produced to varying heights and varying degrees. The pipe 36 from the pre-cooler is on a downward slant, and at this end is connects it to a verticalpipe 37 passing horithe tank 39 at -the polnt 38 near its bottom. Leadin out from the `bottom of the tank is a disc arge pipe 40 con,-

nected by fiange union 41 to a pipe 42 leading to the inlet 43 of the telltale`44`whose'outlet 45 ,is connected through a. T-joint 46 and valve 47 to the return pipe 48. This 'pipe extends as shown to the primar vaporizer or boiler 1, and is thevreturn c arge pipe to which reference has heretofore been made. Liquid separated out" in the fractionatorl passes down through the pipe into the telltale which is fitted with a plurality of tryicocks 44, 44" and 44 or equivalent indicating means. At convenient intervals the valve 47 1s opened enough to blow out the contents 'of the telltale through 48 and sol backv to the primary condenser for renewed treatment for pressure equalization and for any dense` ydrocarbon which rises above the packing of the fractionator, an ovcrflowpipe 49 is provided extending throu h .a T-joint 50 and a trap 52 to the horizonta 'section 5 3 and Athe T-joint 46 of' the telltaledrain pipe. f The trap 52 is arranged so it can be cleaned at intervals by disconnecting the :fiange union which unites it to both pipes 49 and 53.- The T-'oint 50 carries a pressure gage 51.

the receiving tank or rum 61 which is fitted.

with asliquid ga e 61 having valve 61aA and 61". From the rum61 the gas pipe `62 ex. tends to a flange union 63 y which it is connected to the return pipe 65; through a valve 64. The'pipe 65 extends to the furnace 2, where'it terminates in the nozzle 67 controlled by the valve 66. Assuming the valve 64 tobe open, the nozzle 67 will su ply the non-condensing gases from the ta or receivi drum 61 to the furnace 2, thus utilizing w at would` otherwise, be wasted It fitted with an elbow'which by the valfve73.A yThe discharge end .bend

must .beunderstood, however, that I am not i limited to this supply of; as 'for fuel 'in the furnace 2, blut in raising tie efiiciency vof the apparatus, I find it desirable to burn these gases which make a veryhot and efiicient flame. w

The refined product of characteristics de.

termined. by selective -action` of the ractionator, lis drawn ofi' from the receiving drum 61 through drainage pipe 68 controlled by the valve 69. In addition to this product,

there may be others separated out and drained ofi as described in my prior a plica-1' tions 1915; but in the present case, a run may be made `on the one desired product and all rejected or separated constituents sent back through the return pipe 48 to be redistilled and recracked.

With the oregoin apparatus my method of operation is" as fo lows The primary vaporizer is supplied with a suitable charge o the hydrocarbon to be cracked and heat applied'b -means of the burner 67. As the h drocar onis vaporized for example No. 32,704, filed une 7 the vapors pass off t rough the pipe 11 into y the condenser `12 lwhere they are condensed and drained ofi. in the .form of distillate into thereceiving tank 14. When the receiving tank is suiciently charged-to begin operation of the pump, the cracking retort 23 is fired and the lpump set into operation to draw the distillate fromnthe tank 14 through the pipe 15 and,discharge itthrough the conduits 17 and -20 into andthrough the retort 23.- The pressure valve 35 and safety valve 81 maintain the pressure at a constant value, the value being determined according to the set ofthe valvesand indicated by the ipressure gage 18. Thus the contents o the cracking. retort is brought tothe required ,degree of pressure and of temperature, latter being' attained by regulating the supply of fuel through the valve 30 or the equivalent. As the heateddistillate passes through the pipe 23x of the retort, it is cracked, forming newv chemical series. These products pass along'through the precooler 33 and through the pressure controlling or reducing valve 35 to the frac the tionater 39 whichactsto condense and pass l o f through the pipe 68 n forth in Bulletin cracking retort and consequently in' conduits 17 and 20 should rise beyond the pressure' `point to which the valve 8l is set, this valvev will operate to relieve the pressure by allow- Thus, in accordance with the present in vention, the hydrocarbon is refined by rst distilling then, condensing and then cracking in totality and in the liquid phase. y

n practising` this inventlon, 1t should be noted, as fully described in my copending application Serial No. 69,500, to which reference is hereinbefore made, that the temperatures and pressures em loyed are ot a high order, the former pre erably in excess of 400 C., and the latter preferably not less than 100 pounds er square inch. As ,set

o. 114: ofthe interior Department, Petroleum Technology, v page 89, temperatures of 500 to 550 and pressures of 100 pounds and ,upward, are suitable for the production of gasolene, especially when crac ing is carried on ll have found high ressure `and high temperature's e ually e ective when cracking in the liquid p ase, and in the present case it should be especially noted that I crack in totality, and this idea is to be regarded as an essential feature of the invention. No proin the vapor phase.-

vision is made for vaporizing the oil as it enters the cracking coil, and none is desired, but on the contrary they pressure should be so regulated with respect to the temperature that the oil is maintained in the liquid state even though some vapor globules `be vformed and distributed in its streamias it progresses through the crack-` ing coil. All the conditions and facts above stated, as Well as the mechanical details,

dimensions, etc., necessary to maintain pressure to the point of liqueaction, are Well understood by those skilled in the art and I do not claim the same aswithin the scope of my linvention. a

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat-4 ent is- The process of refining oil which consists in first distilling all the oil at lovi7 or atmospheric pressure, retaining all products of distillation without separate condensation, then condensing all condensable products, then placing the entire liquid so condensed in totality and withoutseparation of c any' fraction, under high pressure and hie'h temperature so as to crack in the liquid phase, then separatinglout the heavier products and returning t tilled and cracked, and finally condensing the light resultant product.

In testimony whereof I aii-x my signature.

ein to be again dis# 

